Thanksgiving and Appreciating the Inputs and Outputs (11-21-22)

This week is about Thanksgiving and being thankful for both outputs and inputs.

On Thursday I’ll have Thanksgiving with the in-laws and we will have things like: turkey, mac n cheese, rolls, mashed potatoes, multiple pies, my mother-in-law’s spectacular stuffing (my favorite thing), and more. It will taste delicious, like it does every year. Here’s the thing. That food doesn’t miraculously appear on its own. It requires a lot of time, effort, energy, and resources from a lot of people to make it happen. It’s the time, patience, and care spread over hours that leads to a great turkey. It’s investing hours in finding the ingredients, preparing the ingredients, and pulling it all together that leads to an amazing pie. On Thursday, I’ll be thankful for the food AND for the people and all of the effort they put in to prepare a great meal and a space to enjoy each other.

What does this have to do with anything? In our analogy this week we should be thankful for the outcome (delicious food) and we should appreciate all of the inputs (the people, time, effort, and resources it takes to pull this off). This same thinking should apply to the work we do.

We live in a world obsessed with outcomes and final deliverables. While we are obsessed with these things, we don’t always acknowledge the sacrifice and effort that goes into creating something great. Have you ever created a deliverable that was used and then felt that your contributions weren’t quite appreciated? I have. Have you ever felt that people didn’t fully understand or appreciate the amount of effort, energy, and resources you had to pour into making something successful? I have. Now think about when things went differently. What did it feel like when you and your efforts were appreciated as much as what you delivered? This always makes me feel valued and that I matter.

The challenge: How are you recognizing the effort and energy that goes into the deliverable vs. just recognizing the deliverable itself?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Chili, Versatility, and our Talents (11-16-22)

Last week was about chili and simplicity. Our final chili related entry is about chili, versatility, and our talents.

Pretend for a minute that you’ve made a big pot of chili. What do you do with the leftovers? Do you just keep eating bowls of chili or do you use the chili in different ways to make something delicious? At first, I might eat another bowl or two of normal chili, and then I’ll start mixing it up. I might use that leftover chili to make chili cheese fries. I might pour some chili on top of nachos for an extra bit of flavor. I might even make chili dogs with the leftovers. I might mix some chili, scrambled eggs, and shredded cheese together for a nice breakfast. I might even get crazy, make some crispy tater tots in the air fryer and pour chili and queso over them (dang, I’m hungry now!) The point is that chili is great on its own AND it is versatile enough to be used in other ways to create other incredible foods.

What does this have to do with anything? The above story could be a metaphor for how we view our talents and the talents of others. We all have our own unique strengths (chili). It’s easy to only think about using those strengths in the same way in the same projects in the same roles over and over and over again (eating leftover bowls of chili). We might see a new challenge and think, “I’m not sure my strengths work with that.” Have you ever felt that way? I have. We might also look at people and say, “They are really talented at X, but I don’t think that carries over to Y.” In essence, we’ve told people that they are a bowl of chili, and they can’t be anything more than that. Before you know it, we have pigeonholed ourselves or other people into what we THINK they are versus all the different ways they could use their talents. We know that chili is great as a bowl of chili AND it has the potential to be great in so many other dishes. This is our chance to realize that all of us have talents that can be used in a variety of ways to bring more flavor to the world.

The challenge: Are you seeing the potential in your strengths and talents to be used in different ways? Are you seeing that same potential in the strengths and talents of others?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Chili and Warmth (11-9-22)

Last week was about chili and being inclusive. This week is about chili and warmth.

I love the taste of chili. It’s the blend of spices with the meat and the beans, the crackers crumpled up just right, and some shredded cheese on top melting into deliciousness. I love the taste of chili, but if I’m being honest, I can think of several other foods that have a better flavor profile than chili. It’s not just the taste of chili, but the warmth of chili that makes it so good. There is something about being cold, bundled up in a hoodie, and eating a hot bowl of chili. There is something about feeling the warmth fill your stomach and then spread through the rest of your body. All of a sudden you feel comfy and cozy and settled. Do you ever feel that way after chili or is it just me?

What does this have to do with anything? Chili is more than just a flavor. It’s also the warmth that comes with it. In a similar way, interactions with people are more than just the flavor, but also the warmth that comes with those words and actions. Think about the people who have made you feel all warm, comfy, and cozy. Do you remember the specific words they said, or do you remember the warmth they provided?

People are busy and stressed. People are overworked and exhausted. People are trying to find that reservoir of energy to push through until the end of the year. Things are a little cold right now. People are feeling a little cold. I think we all could use a little more warmth. A hug. A smile. A high five. A sincere thank you. A simple note of appreciation. While these small acts may not solve all problems, they will bring a little extra warmth into a cold world and that has to be worth something.

The challenge: How will you bring some extra warmth into your interactions today?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Chili and being Inclusive (11-2-22)

Last week was about chili and appreciating simplicity. This week is about chili and intentionally being inclusive in day-to-day life.

About 2 years ago I wrote a blog series about inclusion and my wife being a vegetarian. You can read that entry and any of my past blogs by going HERE. In summary, when my wife comes to my parents’ house for dinner, my mom makes vegetarian options, so Diane is included. This makes Diane feel cared for and valued. This week’s story takes this to the next level.

I take my kids over to my mom and dad’s house for a family lunch almost every Sunday, and my wife stays home so she can have a day to herself after holding it down with the kids all week (teaching, taking care of them, running the house, putting up with me 😉 etc.) Recently, we went over to have chili. My mom makes chili with beans and ground beef. As we were leaving, my mom asked if I’d take some home to Diane. That’s when my mom reveals that she made Diane her own separate small pot of chili WITHOUT meat. Isn’t that awesome? Now, my mom didn’t want to be praised for this or anything, she just wanted to show Diane she cares about her. I get home from my mom and dad’s house, and I tell my wife that my mom made her a separate pot of vegetarian chili and my wife simply said, “She’s the best!” You could tell my wife felt loved and appreciated.

What does this have to do with anything? It’s great that my mom makes vegetarian options when my wife comes over for dinner. It’s even better that my mom takes action when Diane isn’t around. In a similar way, it’s appropriate to focus on diversity and inclusion when we are in forums focused on those things or celebrating holidays. It’s even better, when we are consistently putting in the work because it’s the right thing to do. It’s even better, if we are making these actions just part of what we do vs. some kind of action that should be celebrated because we are showing initiative.

The challenge: Do an honest assessment. How are YOU consistently and intentionally being inclusive in day-to-day life? Where could YOU improve?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Chili and the Beauty and Power of Simple Things (10-26-22)

This week is about chili and the power and beauty of the simple things.

Imagine for a moment. It’s a cold crisp day. You can see your breath when you’re outside. You’ve been out running errands and you come home. You still have a little bit of a chill in your bones. When you get inside you smell it. A nice pot of chili is cooking on the stove. You scoop yourself out a bowl, add a little cheese and crackers, and you eat. That scene would describe a perfect fall day for me. It’s hard to beat a good bowl of chili on a cold day. There isn’t anything fancy about chili. It’s only a few key ingredients. The power is in the simplicity. A few ingredients, a hot bowl on a cold day, and it’s perfection.

How does this connect with anything? We live in a world where so much is at our fingertips. We live in a world where it is easy to have more and more and more. It’s easy to get lost going after the next thing with all the newest features. There’s nothing wrong with new things, but sometimes all of this causes us to get lost in a world of complexity. Sometimes, what we really need are the simple things. There is power and beauty in a short walk outside. There is something magical about a sitting around a bonfire or a table and sharing stories with friends and family. There aren’t too many things better than curling up and reading a book or magazine. Some of my best memories were formed playing simple card games. There is hidden beauty locked inside the world of simple things.

The challenge: Will you stop to appreciate the simple things?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Remembering the World is Bigger than Us (10-19-22)

Last week was about keeping our eyes open for side missions. This week is about remembering that the world is bigger than us.

This adventure was the first time my kids had ever been to another country. They enjoyed going somewhere different, where they had the opportunity to experience new lands, new people, and new things. We were a few days into the adventure and Cam and I were having a special dinner with just the two of us. We were talking and he said something along the lines of, “I really like this trip. It reminds me that the world is soooooooo much bigger than Indiana.” Well said, Cam. Well said, indeed.

What does this have to do with anything? . If I’m being honest with myself, before I went on this adventure I think I was so trapped in the fire drills and day to day grind that I lost perspective. My world became so small, because I allowed it to shrink down to the size of those routines. Does this ever happen to you? Being on this trip with my family caused me to step back and realize how my own personal world is so small, and how there is so much more to explore and appreciate out there.

The challenge: How can we remember that the world is so much bigger than just our day to day?

I stand in solidarity against injustice and in support of humanity.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Enjoying Side Missions and the Unexpected Things in Life (10-12-22)

Last week was about framing an adventure and preparing for dragons. This week is about taking time to enjoy side missions and the unexpected things in life.

When we talked to the kids about going on an adventure, we told them there would be main goals and side missions. We never knew what those side missions would be, but we would need to keep our eyes open for them. Our favorite side mission occurred when we were in Edinburgh Scotland. We were there to check out the city and the castle. Both of those were gorgeous. We had just finished our castle tour, and we were starting to walk back to the meeting point. The crowd was all walking one way, when we noticed something out of the corner of our eye. Out of nowhere there was a company on the street with owls giving individuals a chance to hold them. My kids LOVE birds. They were enamored, watching these people hold owls. Of course, we asked if the kids could hold one. They were a bit nervous at first, but each of the kids got to hold a baby owl on their arms for a few minutes. It was the highlight of the trip for them, and the best side mission ever!

What does this have to do with anything? There were a lot of other people on the street that day that never noticed what was going on around them. Maybe, it’s because they had their head down as they shuffled along the street. Maybe, it’s because they were so focused on walking to their next destination that they weren’t open to seeing anything else. Similarly, in work and life sometimes we can get so focused on the final goal or the next milestone that we miss the interesting side paths that open to us. We miss experiences that could bring us growth and joy. Does this ever happen to you? I know it happens to me.

The challenge: Are you keeping your eyes open for side missions?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Vacation and Preparing for Dragons (10-5-22)

Pretty sure this is the embodiment of going through busy airports

See the source image Happy Wednesday,

This week we will kick off a series based on reflections I had during my most recent vacation. My family went on a cruise that visited Belgium, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and England. This week is about vacations and preparing for dragons.

Before we went on vacation, my wife and I sat down with the kids. My wife explained, “This is not a vacation. This is going to be an adventure. We will have main goals, side missions, and treasure! AND there will be dragons that we will need to slay or avoid. Luckily, I know we are tough enough to defeat those beasts.” The kids chuckled at the time, but there could not have been a more fitting description. While we had an amazing time, we also ran into quite a few dragons like navigating new and anxiety inducing environments, tight layovers and needing to sprint through airports, lost luggage, our itinerary being completely changed due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth (no joke), navigating the streets and tubes of London with suitcases, and more. Whenever one of these challenges would arise, we would all say, “This is just another dragon to slay,” and after we got through it, we would celebrate surviving the beast. As silly as it may sound, the simple fact that we went into vacation knowing there would be dragons gave us the strength and confidence to better deal with them.

What does this have to do with anything? At work, how often do we start a workstream by acknowledging that we EXPECT to fight dragons? I’d argue, not often enough. Usually, we plan and assume that everything will go according to plan. We build timelines with minimal buffer as if there will be no bumps. Now this might sound good in theory, but then once we run into a dragon, we aren’t ready mentally do deal with it. Does this sound familiar? I know this happens to me all the time. Think of how different it would be if we started projects by talking about potential dragons we expect to encounter and mentally preparing for unexpected dragons. How would that change our preparation? How would that change our ability to mentally pivot to deal with the dragons?

The challenge: How can we do a better job of preparing for the dragons we will inevitably face?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Getting Back into Rhythm vs. Choosing YOUR Rhythm (10-3-22)

It’s been a long time. I’m back from an amazing trip feeling recharged and full of wonder. With that in mind, I have a blog entry that I felt was best shared on a Monday morning. It’s about getting back into rhythm vs. choosing your rhythm

Yesterday as I was mentally preparing to go back to work after 2.5 weeks of vacation, I said to myself, “Starting tomorrow I’m going to need to get back in the swing of things. I’ll have to get back into that rhythm.” Then I paused for a moment and asked myself, “Am I sure I just want to go back to the old routines and rhythm of doing things?” Some of the old habits, routines, and rhythm were great, but others didn’t serve me well. Before plunging headfirst into the way things used to be, I needed to take a moment to decide what I would like to carry forward and what I’d like to adjust.

What does this have to do with anything? Maybe you’re coming back from vacation. Maybe you’re coming back from a weekend. Either way, right now you are likely in front of your laptop or smartphone getting ready to dive into the week and get back to the rhythm of doing things. Before you dive in, is this the rhythm you want to be part of? Are there any tweaks or changes you’d like to make to what you are part of and how you are doing things? Now would be a good time to think about those and figure out how to evolve your rhythm.

The challenge: How will you find the best rhythm for you?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Stress Fractures and Taking Time to Heal (9-13-22)

Happy Tuesday,

Breaking the rule and sending my blog out on Tuesday. Our topic is taking time to heal.

Last week I mentioned that when the doctor diagnosed me with a stress fracture that he then shared a plan to help me get back to doing what I wanted to do. The first part of that plan was REST. He looked me in the eye and said, “If you continue training and doing what you’re currently doing, you are going to cause more damage. Damage that will be longer lasting. You need to rest. If you need crutches or something we can do that.” He then outlined what I could and couldn’t do for my health. Eventually he gave me a plan to ease into running. It felt weird resting. It felt like I was doing nothing. However, it was the best training move I made, and now I feel better than I have in a long time.

What does this have to do with anything? Think about work for a minute, how often do you give yourself time to recover? How often do you truly unplug and do what you need to heal from a day, a week, a month, a quarter, a year of running HARD? This rest is essential if we want to keep performing at a high level. Now I want you to think of the doctor. He came into this situation and did a few great things. He saw me and my pain. He took things off my plate (no impact on the leg). He offered resources (crutches). Even as I returned to running, he gave me clear parameters on what I should focus on and how long I should run in order to avoid reinjuring the leg. Now think of work. As a leader, are you doing what this doctor did? Are you acknowledging where your people are mentally/physically/socially? Are you seeing their struggle and pain? From there, are you putting a plan in place with clear priorities that removes things from their plate? Are you giving people the appropriate resources and support to do what they are being asked to do? We need these all these things, not only to do our jobs, but to give us the space, freedom, and opportunity to heal and recover.

The challenge: Are you taking the time to heal? If you are an official leader, are you creating the space/culture and are you putting in the support, so people have time to heal and recover?

Bonus: Even if you’re not a leader, as we work on projects, we could all do a better job of finding places and spaces where we can encourage folks to slow down and work at a more suitable pace vs. sprinting on fractured legs. I’m proud of myself, because I recently told a person, “Don’t do any more work. This will wait, and we will be fine with waiting even though it’s late.” I gave them permission and space to recover. I’m also disappointed in myself, because I’ve also ran colleagues into the ground lately with some projects that were overwhelming fires that consumed so much time at work and beyond.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry